The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-12-29
WHY THEY LOVE US.

EDITOR NEWS: In your Washing
ton letter it is said that the arrears of
pensions act will be revoked, and there
is some likelihood Of the veterans get
ting better legislation than heretofore.
AS it gets closer to the presidential
election it is wonderful what love and
anxiety is expressed for the old union
soldier-much more than for the old
rebel soldier. And some people ask
why this is. They even claim that it
would only, be natural, now the con-
federate brigadiers are in the saddle,
that they should take some steps that
would catch the rebel soldier element.
But those who make such statements
are not the ones who have carefully
noted the why's and Wherefores of the
great love manifested, about election
time, by even ex-rebel congressman,
for the union veterans, as distinguished
from the confederate veterans.
But the cause is manifest. The
rebel veteran knows but one allegiance.
He is a democrat, first, last and all the
time. His only hope is in the demo
cratic party. And to that hope he
clings with the tenacity of drowning
man to floating raft. And, with the
characteristic of the drowning man, he
has no liberation for any one who would
imperil his safety or do anything
calculated to injure his raft or lessen
it's carrying powers. For this reason
| is the south solid. And for this reason
is there no necessity for excessive pro-
LESSONS of love for the rebel soldier by
politicians. The rebels know their
friends, and stick to them. They also
know their enemies, and, as in war
| times. do not tolerate them in the land
of cotton.
On the other hand, the union veter-
ans, like the people of the north during
the war, are easily led into all sorts of
reforms. Prohibition, labor, green
back and dozen other side-tracks lead
them from the main road followed by
| the only party that has ever really done
any good in the directions sought by
either of these branches. And the
very existence of these side-tracks or
branches is and has been only due to
the life blood drawn from the body OF
the party which carried the war to a
successful conclusion; emancipated the
slave; gave temperance and prohition
whatever of victory it may claim In
several states; originated the green
back itself, over which so much fuss
has been made, and has always and In
every method stood up for the rights
of the laboring man, whether native OF
foreign born.
1 We're the union veteran and his
friends and relatives only near so loyal
to party as are the eonfederates, it Is
true there might not be as much
gush and palaver wasted on him by
the democracy, and not so much prom
ised to him. But then there would moi
be the necessity for it, as, were the re-
publican party not crippled by these
isms there would be no need for look.
ing elsewhere for pension measures.
AS it is, it is simply nonsense for any
ex-soldier of the union army to iooE
outside of his own party for aid or as
sistance, as it is nonsense for the pro
hibitionists to look elsewhere for tenn
perance legislation
Let the union veteran stray from the
fold, and he is simply acting as he
would have done had he left the ranks
during the rebellion and gone to bush.
whacking. Let the temperance man
join the third party and he is doing
likewise, and is giving aid to his enemy
the rum seller.
During the war. democracy and re-
bellion were synonymous terms Now
democracy and incompetence are about
| on the same par; as is also democracy
and pension vetoes.
In unity their is strength and victory,
both for the union veteran and for the
advocate of temperance. In division
there is defeat for both.
UNION VET.